MANUSCRIPT FIXER-UPPER

 

 by Kate Carroll

As a children’s writer, I have files of flawed manuscripts. When I wrote them, I didn’t know they had structural damage, but over time, as they sat in a drawer, and I challenged myself to learn more about craft, I realized these gems could not survive in their current condition.  When I need a change of pace, or new ideas aren’t surfacing, I turn to these old friends and challenge one to a renovation.   

 

Whether you’re a brand-new writer or a seasoned author, you probably have a manuscript that never made it into the world. Dig into your drawer, your files, maybe your own slush pile and pull out something that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while - a real fixer-upper. Grab your tools and try a makeover. I’ve watched builders whip old things into shape on HGTV shows and Food Channel chefs work wonders with leftovers, so why not renew an old story?

 

Here is a checklist that might make your something old, new again.

1.      Get ready to demo!

Read your story out loud. A noticeable something may glare at you. Or it may be hidden in the foundation somewhere. Stay with it, even if you must pull everything apart.                    

 

2.     Exactly how strong is your plot? Will kids care what your story is about? If not, can you twist and turn it so that they will?

What can you do to make it more appealing to kids? We know that the best loved stories are ones that allow a child to think, dream, laugh and grow through the pages.

 

3.     Does your main character need a tune-up?  Consider these thoughts. What is your main character really like?  Is it a character that a child can see and know? If your character isn’t well fleshed out, there’s a chance that it will remain invisible. Spend some time working on the MC ‘s attributes. Is he silly, magical, naughty, lazy, excited, mean, brave, curious, forgetful? Whoever your main character is, he must be unforgettable to the reader.

 

4.     Make tension intentional. No matter what age you are writing for, tension matters. Raising the roadblocks that a character encounters keeps the reader rooting for him. Imposing scenes that keep the reader turning the pages is a good goal.

 

5.     Is your dialogue dynamic? Does your dialogue give information that helps move the manuscript along? Do you create conversations between characters that cause tension? Sophie’s Squash by Pat Z. Miller is a great example of dialogue that increases the angst for Sophie.

 

6.     Employ the right words. Use writing techniques that help pace your story well. Think of a roller coaster ride. Experience the slow chug of the climb (I’m nervous already), the intensity of the peak, and the thrill of the finish. Using language that mimics this progression is one way that you can help your pacing.  Check out Oh, No! by Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann.

 

7.      Be ready to redo if needed. If you’re lucky enough to uncover problems in your story, be prepared to work and rework until the foundation is solid and the details dovetail into a heartwarming finish.  

8.      Inspectors are necessary. Before your work goes into submission, seek final approval from your critique group or a paid editor. Seek honest feedback about your manuscript and accept all suggestions with gratitude. You are not required to use advice from others, but chances are, someone is going to see that one minor flaw that you missed.

 

I hope all your manuscripts are worthy of publication, but just in case they don’t pass inspection the first time, consider a makeover and see what happens.

 

7 Reasons to Belong to a Writing Community

By Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton

Writers are a unique group of people. We live in our heads, surrounded by characters that tell us their stories and expect us to record them on paper. Sometimes those characters keep us up at night, interrupt our daily chores, and become more real to us than our everyday lives. To outsiders we are loners, a wee-bit crazy, and not always understandable.

1. That brings me to the first reason for the importance of a writing community:UNDERSTANDING Who else is going to understand you missing a meal, staying up all night, or holing yourself up in a locked room? Only another writer. They understand that writing is a consuming, demanding job. They understand that if you don't get the ideas down on paper NOW, that later, when time allows, you may find yourself staring at a blank screen. They are the only ones who get where you are coming from, so join a group! (Check out SCBWI.org, and local writers groups that meet at libraries. If you can't find a group, start one!)

2. ENCOURAGEMENT:  When you hit a glitch, and your characters have taken a long weekend in Neverland. only another writer understands those dry spells. We need encouragement. The great thing is that not only do other writers encourage each other, but when they are gathered together, an energizing ripple effect begins to roll. As each writer discusses their latest project, your own brain's ideas begin to flow and the next thing you know you are excusing yourself to rush home to your computer to write.


3. Every manuscript requires many sets of eyes. CRITIQUE groups are a must. Every time I finish a manuscript, I just know it is an award-winning book. But the reality is that good writing begins with rewriting. Even though the story is clear in your head, the reader isn't always able to see things the way you pictured them. That's where many sets of eyes are helpful. Your peers can tell you the manuscript's strengths and where it needs some work. Fellow writers are your first readers and helpful editors.

4. A good writing community is needed for NETWORKING. I attend as many conferences, workshops, and critique meets as possible. Writers know what is happening out there in the big world of publishing. You hear things about editors who are wonderful to work with, publishing houses that have recently opened their doors to unsolicited manuscripts, and houses that are now requiring a query letter. Go, listen, and grow!

5. Who are you ACCOUNTABLE to? Unless you are under deadline with a publisher, writing
requires you to be your own boss. Some writers are diligent, setting aside a set amount of time to write daily, but many writers are so creatively wired that they get off task easily. I am one of those people. I am a crafter, a nature lover,  a thrift store hunter and a five-year-old at heart. Unless I have someone to answer to, I find it is unbelievably easy to get distracted. My writing community helps me to be accountable.

6. A writing community is vital because they will CHALLENGE you. Many times when brainstorming together, I have challenged my peers by saying, "If you don't write it, I will!" Two friends that I challenged this way ended up with contracts! A challenge can be as simple as setting an amount of words to be written by the next meeting, or getting a manuscript out by a set time, or review a manuscript you put aside. But whatever the challenge, you will better off as a writer.

7. Last but not least, a writing community is valuable is for CELEBRATION. When you get that first publication, who else is going to understand your journey? No one besides another writer realizes the hours you've pored over your creation. No one else understands the angst felt before you turn your manuscript over to the U.S. postal service, or the daily walks to the mailbox wondering..."Will there be another rejection? Did I get an acceptance?"

Other writers get it. They value the days, months, and often years it takes to get from idea to publication. So when it is time to celebrate, your writing community will be full of high fives, balloons and maybe even a glass of champagne.

So don't hide yourself off in a room by yourself. Get out there. Find a group of like- minded creative writers. They will understand and encourage you. They will critique your work and they will help inform you through networking. Your community will challenge you and make you accountable. But the best part is, they will celebrate with you every step of your journey from idea to publication.

Self-Editing Tips from Two-4-One Kid Critiques

   by Jean Daigneau and Gloria G. Adams

We started Two-4-One in the fall of 2016 and have been busy ever since doing critique edits for writers. Our service is unique in that we offer two separate critiques, one from each of us, plus a collaborative summation.     

We see a number of issues regularly, particularly in picture and chapter book manuscripts. Here are a few things to watch out for or to add to your own stories to make your writing stronger. 

~Jean and Gloria

1.    Telling not Showing. This is probably the granddaddy of them all. When you tell your reader what is happening or what a character is feeling, you give reader information, rather than allowing him or her to experience it.

Use actions to show emotions. Instead of “Jeff was nervous,” say “Jeff squirmed in his seat, tapped his pencil on the desk, kept blinking his eyes and clearing his throat.”
Check out The Six Pens’ blog post on this subject by Gloria Reichert, March, 2019. http://songofsixpens.blogspot.com/2019/03/

2.    Double Tags. Tags tell you who is speaking, so you don’t need to double up on them. If you show your character acting or reacting to something along with dialogue, you can reduce word count and make your writing stronger by omitting the tag altogether.

Double Tag example: Joey slid into the driver’s seat. “You coming or not?” he asked. We already know who is speaking (Joey) so “he asked” is not necessary. Here’s a good article on the many ways to use tags effectively: https://michelleschusterman.substack.com/p/a-quick-guide-to-dialogue-tags

3.    Not Enough Story. Editors or agents sometimes use this phrase when the story lacks the basic components to give the reader satisfaction. Your ideas might be good, but if you don’t have enough story, your writing isn’t strong enough to engage your reader to the end. Often increasing the obstacles your main character needs to overcome or adding tension will go a long way to resolving this issue.

Basic plots should begin with an incident that causes a change in the status quo, creating a problem for the main character, followed by steps he/she takes to resolve the problem. Tension should increase until the story reaches a climax or turning point, followed by a resolution and end. This could be very simple or incredibly complex but should still follow a basic pattern that creates a “story arc” with a satisfying ending.

4.    No Character Growth. Your main character must show some change by the end of the story. If your character is exactly the same at the beginning of the story as he or she is at the end, your character lacks growth or development.

Write down your character’s traits, both physical and emotional, at the beginning, then decide what change you want to see at the end. How will he/she learn a lesson or change somehow (be stronger, braver, wiser, etc.?)

5.    Info Dump. Info dump occurs when you give your readers everything you want them to know in your story instead of everything they need to know. Readers only need to read what they need to read. You, however, need to know everything about your story and then learn what to leave out.

Instead of telling your readers the entire back story in the first chapter, drip the information gradually into the story, using dialogue as well as descriptions to move the story along.

6.    Rule of 3. Three is the smallest pattern a person’s brain can recognize, so it works well in a number of scenarios You can use the rule of 3 to show plot points, to introduce characters and/or their names, to add rhythm to your story (or title,) or to provide obstacles for your main character to overcome.

Examples: Itsy, Bitsy, Spider; Three Bears, Three Little Pigs, etc.
    
Do a quick review of your latest story and see how revising with these ideas in mind can
 improve your writing.

You can learn all about us and our services at www.two4onekidcritiques.com.

To Be or Not To Be

 

By Gloria Reichert

Show. Don’t tell.

Writers often hear this excellent advice, but following it poses some challenges. Authors can heed this advice to some degree by choosing to use active verbs instead of passive forms of the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, etc).

Active verbs make our writing more descriptive and concise. They enliven it with concrete details. They make it more readable, and they help appeal to the senses. Active verbs move our scenes forward. A well-chosen active verb can eliminate the need for an adverb.

For example, one could write the following sentence using the passive verb “was.”

Robby’s room was messy.

This sentence summarizes the situation. Or one could use active verbs to show how Robby’s room looked.

Robby’s red T-shirt draped the chair by his desk. Socks of various colors tried to escape from the open dresser drawer. Potato chips crumbs littered the floor and formed a trail to the Legos scattered underneath the window. Rumpled sheets and blankets covered the unmade bed. An empty milk glass stood on the nightstand surrounded by chocolate chip cookie crumbs. 

Using active verbs creates a more vivid picture of Robby’s room and also gives some insight into his character traits.

Or consider the following sentence which tells us about Suzie using a passive verb.

Suzie was happy.

Using active verbs shows the reader her happiness and add more emotional intensity to the scene.

Suzie’s face glowed with a radiant smile. Her eyes sparkled. She hummed a lively tune as she skipped down the sidewalk. A small burst of laughter escaped at the sight of two puppies playing in the neighbor’s yard.

Now try your hand at changing these telling sentences into showing ones by using active verbs.

Bobby was lonely.

Ann was surprised.
Gwen was nervous.

Whether or not to use an active or passive verb depends on the writer’s intended purpose. Active verbs emphasize the person or object performing the action. Passive verbs emphasize the person or object receiving the action.

So if you want stronger writing that packs more punch, read over one of your manuscripts and 

highlight every passive verb. Then go back though 

the manuscript and replace each passive verb 

with an active one. 

Bet you will be pleased with the results.

Show. Don’t tell. Accomplished!